What is the condition of Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire often mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine?

Yin deficiency with excessive fire is a term in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a chronic condition. If symptoms of yin deficiency with excessive fire appear, everyone needs to pay attention and take good care of their health. It is often closely related to staying up late and diet, commonly occurring in "night owls" who frequently stay up late and the elderly. So, what are the symptoms of yin deficiency with excessive fire?

Those with yin deficiency have strong stomach fire, can eat and drink well, but have a fast metabolism, no matter how much they eat they don't gain weight, have a lean physique, and relaxed muscles.

Those with yin deficiency have internal fire attacking the heart, often feeling chest distress, emotional instability, difficulty concentrating, and are prone to night terrors and insomnia.

Those with yin deficiency have skin that lacks moisture, is dry and dull, with a poor complexion. They are also prone to internal heat, frequently develop mouth ulcers, have a red tongue, and often suffer from constipation.

If the body's fluids are insufficient, nutrients are loosely distributed and not flowing smoothly, and they are all consumed by excessive internal heat, leading to symptoms such as physical weakness, dizziness, and easy fatigue.

Those with yin deficiency have excessive internal heat, leading to "five-center heat" where body temperature is normal, but the palms and soles feel hot, even in winter.

Afternoon tidal fever, or nighttime fever, fever without desire to cover with clothes, heat in the palms and soles, or bone steaming tidal fever, irritability, little sleep, many dreams, flushed cheeks, night sweats, dry mouth and throat, dry and hard stools, scanty yellow urine, tongue body dry red or with cracks, no coating or little coating, thin and rapid pulse. May be accompanied by recurrent oral ulcers, pain, dizziness, soreness and weakness in the waist, etc.

Long-term use of medications, such as diuretics, can also contribute to yin deficiency. Consuming spicy and hot foods for a long time can also cause or worsen yin deficiency constitution. Yin deficiency constitution is more common in women because women go through many specific physiological stages in their lives, such as menstruation, vaginal discharge, pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation, which consume a large amount of yin fluids in the body, mainly blood, making them prone to yin deficiency.

The main function of the yin aspect, besides nourishing and moistening the organs and tissues, is also to restrain the yang energy to prevent it from being exposed externally. Yang energy is characterized by heat, movement, and rising, while the yin aspect corresponds with cold, stillness, and descending. If the yin aspect is deficient and unable to restrain the yang energy, the body will exhibit a state of excessive yang energy with false heat, known as "yin deficiency causing internal heat." The "Inner Canon" states: "After the age of forty, yin energy is halved." As one ages, or after febrile diseases, or due to irregular sexual activity, true yin is easily depleted. Yin deficiency with excessive fire is not specific to any one disease; rather, it is commonly seen in various conditions such as menopausal syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, diabetes, stroke sequelae, tinnitus, and insomnia. Patients are generally more often female, as menstruation easily consumes yin blood. For example, menopausal women mainly experience symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, and insomnia, which clearly indicate yin deficiency with excessive fire. Sometimes, during illness and treatment, there can be a change in constitution. Several years ago, a leukemia patient originally had a constitution of insufficient vital energy; after chemotherapy, symptoms of yang hyperactivity and yin deficiency appeared, such as night sweats, subjective body heat, heat in the palms and soles, and insomnia.

1. Sesame

Sesame has a sweet taste and a neutral nature, entering the liver, kidney, lung, and spleen meridians; it has the effects of nourishing yin, moisturizing dryness, and generating fluids. It can replenish the body's yin fluids. Sesame also has the functions of nourishing blood and improving eyesight, dispelling wind and moisturizing the intestines, benefiting the liver and nourishing hair, strengthening the body, and anti-aging. Strength has also declined, accompanied by soreness and weakness in the waist and knees as well as nocturnal emissions.

2. Lily

In traditional Chinese medicine, lily is believed to have a good effect on nourishing the heart and calming the mind, and it also has certain benefits for moistening the lungs and relieving cough, making it very suitable for patients recovering from serious illnesses.

3. Bird’s Nest

Bird's nest is a natural food that increases body fluids and is considered a precious tonic. It has a particularly high protein content, nourishes yin and moistens dryness, benefits qi and strengthens the middle, and has the effect of prolonging life. It is suitable for symptoms caused by lung yin deficiency such as tidal fever, night sweats, dry cough with little phlegm, and coughing up blood. It also has good therapeutic effects on symptoms caused by stomach yin deficiency such as food sticking in the throat, regurgitation, and spontaneous sweating due to qi deficiency.

4. Rehmannia root

Cooked Rehmannia nourishes the kidneys, replenishes yin and benefits essence to generate blood, fills essence and nourishes marrow, serving as a key medicine for supplementing kidney yin and nourishing blood to treat deficiency. The ancients called it "the great tonic for the true yin of the five viscera." It can treat liver and kidney yin deficiency, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, seminal emission, night sweats, tinnitus, deafness, and diabetes. Often used together with Angelica sinensis, white peony root, and Ligusticum chuanxiong, it can treat blood deficiency with sallow complexion, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, irregular menstruation, and abnormal uterine bleeding.

Dietary prescription for treating Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire

Ingredients: Rehmannia root, rice.

Method: Wash the rehmannia and rice thoroughly, then drain the water and set aside; put the rehmannia into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water to decoct the medicine; after removing the residue, add the rice to the medicinal liquid, then cook it into porridge; before taking it off the heat, add a small amount of salt to season, and it can be consumed directly.

Ingredients: Asparagus, rice.

Method: Clean the asparagus and rice thoroughly, then drain the water and set aside; then simmer the asparagus with an appropriate amount of water, finally remove the residue; add the rice to the medicinal liquid, then cook into porridge; add salt for seasoning before serving. This recipe is very suitable for daily breakfast consumption and has a very good effect in treating yin deficiency with excessive fire.

Ingredients: fresh lily, rice, rock sugar.

Method: Rinse the lily bulbs and rice clean, then drain the water; add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, bring to a boil, then add the rice and cook into porridge; after the porridge is cooked, add the prepared lily bulbs, cook until done, then add rock sugar to taste and it can be served directly. If fresh lily bulbs are not available, lily bulb powder can also be used.